Total Beauty Fall 2012 Collection

Total Beauty offers all kinds of beauty advice and information as well as a sampling program called the Total Beauty Collection (totalbeauty.com).  I decided to try their Fall 2012 Collection ($15), which included 5 deluxe samples and two bonus offers as follows:

Jonathan Product - Dirt Texturizing Paste - Sample; Full size: 3.35 oz/$26 - This non-greasy, non-sticky texturizing paste is infused with ingredients that'll smooth tangles, repair damage, and condition your hair.

Alison Raffaele - Reality Base Foundation - Skintone 3 - Sample; Full size: 1 oz/$38 - This creamy, oil-free foundation is super hydrating and lightweight.  This shade works best on light to medium skin tones.

Pur~Lisse - Pur~Protect SPF30 - .5 oz/15 ml Sample; Full size: 1.7 fl oz/$55 - This moisturizer has superpower ingredients that protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays.  Apply to a clean face 30 minutes before sun exposure.

Academie Paris - Cleansing Water - .5 fl oz/15 ml Sample; Full size: 250 ml/$48 - This gentle formula removes dirt, oil, and stubborn makeup -- without rinsing.  It can be used in the morning and evening on your face and eyes.

Academie Paris - Antioxidant Cream - Sample; Full size: 1.7 oz/$90 - This moisturizer contains vitamins C and E, which smooth fine lines and help create a youthful glow.  Blend into clean skin before applying makeup in the morning.

BONUS ITEMS:

eSalon Custom Hair Color Gift Card  - valued at $19.95 - With eSalon's innovative service, professional stylists use your personal hair profile to blend your very own hair color.  This individually-tailored hair color, made of salon-grade pigments, ensures that every application will produce beautiful, long-lasting results.

Fiafini - Divine Hydration Moisturizer  - 2 0.17 oz Samples; Full size: 1.7 fl oz/$38.50

Overall rating:  Booyah!  I don't recall filling out a beauty profile with Total Beauty so I was surprised to receive samples I can use.  I initially thought the foundation shade would be too light but it blended nicely into my skin and I was surprised by how hydrated my skin felt in spite of the fact that the foundation was oil-free.

This is my first order from Total Beauty.  Have you tried their collections?  What are your thoughts?

Maybelline Color Tattoos - Limited Edition 2012 and Fall Shades

Maybelline has added eight limited edition shades to their 24-Hour Color Tattoo range.  The first four I found in my local drugstore in a display with the limited edition Great Lash Mascara shades.  Other than the seal, there is no difference from the Color Tattoo shades in their permanent range.

The four shades are:

Blue On By

Fuchsia Fever

Ready, Set, Green

Test My Teal

Here are close-ups of each shade:

Blue On By 

Fuchsia Fever

Ready, Set, Green

Test My Teal

Here are swatches:

Top to Bottom: Blue On By, Fuchsia Fever, Ready, Set, Green and Test My Teal

In addition to these, there are four additional shades being offered under the Fall 2012 Scene on the Runway collection.

The four shades are:

Barely Beige
Gold Shimmer
Mossy Green
Rich Mahogany

Here are close-ups of each shade:

Barely Beige

Gold Shimmer

Mossy Green 

Rich Mahogany

Here are swatches:

Top to Bottom: Barely Beige, Gold Shimmer, Mossy Green, Rich Mahogany

While I was fortunate to get my hands on these lovely, limited edition shades, I was not lucky enough to get them on sale ($6.99 each).  As I eager to get them and feature them on my blog, I was not patient enough to wait for a sale.  Perhaps, I will get my back-ups on sale.

The Fall 2012 display also featured an eyeshadow brush ($2.99) so I purchased that as well.  The brush appears to have natural bristles and a fairly decent length handle.  It is easy to wash and dries quickly.  I used baby shampoo and noticed no shedding.  The brush appears to be different from the Maybelline Expert Tools Eyeshadow brush in that the ferrule is black and brush appears to be more tapered and rounded.

Overall rating:  Booyah!  I love the fact that Maybelline is expanding their shade range with this product.  However, I think that the Fall shades, being more neutral and warm, should be added to their permanent collection.  As with the initial Color Tattoo shades, I found better wearability with a primer.  All shades were nicely pigmented though I noticed that Blue on By and Fuchsia Fever were slightly temperamental, though not as bad as what others experienced with Painted Purple, from the permanent range.

Have you found any of these?  What are your thoughts?